He will succeed Professor Stephen Glaister CBE who is retiring. Steve is expected to take up the post in May 2015.

Steve has been Director General of Roads, Traffic and Local Group at the Department for Transport since 2013.

Recently he has been leading the work that will result in the transformation of the Highways Agency into Highways England. He has also been responsible for overseeing the work of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), and the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA).

Steve joined the Civil Service in 1983 and moved into the central transport department in 1988 where he has worked ever since except for periods spent in the Cabinet Office, the Government Office for London and the Office of the Rail Regulator.

During his time at the Department for Transport (and its predecessors) Steve has:

· Led policy development of the SMART motorways concept

· Developed and led strategy to tackle the environmental impacts of road transport

· Led a major study on the feasibility of national road pricing

· Been a director of the Office of the Rail Regulator

· Worked on a wide range of transport policies including high speed rail, sustainable travel and promoting the digital agenda

Steve is currently a vice president at the Chartered Institute for Logistics and Transport.

Talking of his appointment Steve Gooding said:

“I have been aware of the RAC Foundation and its excellent research work for many years, and to have the opportunity to join the organisation is a great opportunity, a privilege and a considerable responsibility building on the work of my predecessors.

“I have long been fascinated by transport and travel, and I am very conscious of the fundamental part mobility plays in all our lives, not least those of the UK’s 38 million drivers.

“This understanding comes not just from my professional life but also personal experience. As the father of teenage sons and with an elderly mother who wants to retain her independence I understand the safety and economic implications of making access to personal transport widely available.

“Some of the biggest political and social debates touch on transport including climate change, public health, infrastructure provision, and the funding and financing of public services. I am looking forward to leading the Foundation’s contribution on these issues.”

Steve Gooding will report to the RAC Foundation’s board of trustees. The chair of the RAC Foundation, Joe Greenwell CBE DL, said:

“We are delighted Steve Gooding has agreed to be our new director. His expertise, knowledge, experience and policy insights in the transport field are second to none and he will be a great successor to Stephen Glaister who has steered the Foundation so admirably over the past seven years.

“On behalf of the Foundation’s board and staff I would like to thank Stephen Glaister for his outstanding leadership of the Foundation, and for the rigour and illumination he has brought to the transport debate.”